The bounty hunters and the home coming

I suck at summarys. Seriously...

 

Sounds of playing children echoed into Roger’s office, setting the atmosphere of what was to come that bright Sunday. The clouds had rained themselves out during the night, leaving only dewy grass and inviting puddles in their wake. Sunlight peeked through windows and caressed the courtyard, where almost all the children were now romping happily.

 

Beyond Birthday, however, had his eyes trained on an elderly man sitting behind a large wooden table. He’d spent most of the morning undergoing various logical and memory tests, all of which he’d passed with amazing results. B had found them deliciously challenging, and was now in a buzz that craved for more.

 

Information, facts, puzzles; he wanted to learn them all. His mind was like a thirsty sponge, sucking up droplets of details as a dehydrated man sucked at lemonade. What made it even sweeter was that he could tell the adults were impressed, and that only stroked his young ego.

With one last glance at the papers in front of him, Roger pushed himself from his high-backed armchair, and approached Beyond with a warm smile.

 

“You have done exceptionally well, and I see no problem with you living at Wammy’s House,” he said, reaching to shake his small hand.

“Thank you, Roger. They were really fun; when can I do some more?” B asked whilst shaking the offered hand.

“You will be starting tomorrow,”

“As early as we did today?” he asked, excited now. He was almost salivating at the prospect of learning the list of subjects read to him earlier.

“If you like, you can come in earlier. The other children will be starting at eight, however,” Roger chuckled. Beyond’s enthusiasm was contagious, and Roger absently hoped it would rub off on some of the lazier children.

 

“There are game rooms scattered around the orphanage with puzzles and such to keep you occupied – I’m sure it won’t take you long to find one, B,” was the polite dismissal Beyond received, to which he turned and headed to the door with a smile.

His codename was so cool.

 

***

 

Even though Beyond Birthday was a prodigy, and even though he’d passed the Wammy’s House memory tests with flying colours, he was still just a child. Because of this, everything seemed twice as big, and twice as long.

 

He found himself wandering aimlessly around the orphanage, with absolutely no idea where he was or how to get back. B was well and truly lost, and, incidentally, if he sat down and thought about it he’d be able to quite easily find his way to Roger’s office. But he didn’t think about it, and thus couldn’t find the way back.

 

Bathrooms and bedrooms were found, as well as a library and various linen cupboards. After a while, Beyond forgot he was lost and began to play, imagination as his game board and surroundings were his props.

 

He was the world’s best explorer, out to unlock the greatest mysteries of the unknown world! All of America would celebrate B’s return, marvelling over his brilliant discoveries and epic tales of danger and fortune.

 

Beyond began to run up the corridor, away from imaginary enemies and towards made up salvation. Looking backward, B saw the bounty hunters were catching up to his pace, and sped up in response.

 

Something hard then ploughed into the raven haired boy rather suddenly, causing both to come crashing to the ground. B slid for a few feet on the dark polished floorboards, momentarily dazed as the Egyptian tomb disappeared and was replaced by the solid wood corridors. The men with swords and unshaven faces were no more, instead replaced with a pale haired boy spread eagle on the floor. He had a slender and fragile looking frame, wearing only loose clothing with no shoes. His eyes were an impressively shocking shade of green, which were now unfocused due to the unexpected collision.

 

Beyond scrambled to his hands and knees, rushing over in a panic. B’ dark eyes flickered to the space a foot above his head, where crimson letters floated above ever changing crimson numbers.

 

After Always

 

“I’m so sorry. Are you okay?” B asked nervously. He only hoped he wouldn’t get into serious trouble on his first day there.

“Ouch... Hello!” The boy said brightly, rubbing his head with a palm. “I’m A; you’re the Los Angeles kid, right?” he asked happily, sitting up on his knees.

“Yeah... I’m B,”

“It’s good to meet you, B,” he said as both boys got to their feet. “What were you running from before? You were going quite fast,” A asked, and Beyond’s face lit up as the crumbling tomb reformed around him, only this time he wasn’t playing alone.

“Bounty hunters,” he said with a grin, turning A’s own wicked smile wider.

“Brilliant...”

 

***

 

It wasn’t long before Beyond and A became close friends, and Roger soon found them to be inseparable. As the year ticked over, they competed with each other, played games together and learned about one another. Beyond would share his belongings only with A, and vice versa. None of the orphans were included in their games and activities, and they weren’t invited to join in with the others – Not that the two would have said ‘yes’, anyway.

 

Both were geniuses, and at the top of their game; A beat Beyond by only a nose, thus causing the latter to push harder to overtake. Soon enough, childish games were abandoned for more complex ones, and their conversations naturally advanced as they did.

 

Roger kept everything together, pacifying arguments, consoling the teary-eyed and sticking bandaids on scrapes. B hadn’t seen Watari once since being accepted into Wammy’s House, and none of the other children seemed overly concerned about it.

 

Because of this, it came as a surprise when a sleek, top-of-the-range car rolled into the garage, right next to where the two boys had been debating that day’s philosophy issue. A cut himself off mid-sentence, his expression excited. Very suddenly, the blonde shot up from the sunny patch of lawn and bolted to the garage, B hot on his tail.

 

“What’s happening?” he asked breathlessly, skidding to a halt next to A.

“Watari’s back! And he’s with L!”

Beyond had heard mentions of L around Wammy’s house, but only ever as inquiries or muses to his return. He wondered why Watari had taken so long to get back to Wammy’s House when he was obviously one of the main adults.

“Who is L?” Beyond eventually asked, and A distractedly explained he was a Wammy’s orphan who was fast approaching the rank of ‘World’s Greatest Detective’.

Beyond Birthday was, naturally, impressed. He kept up with his excited friend as A hurried to the garage entrance, just in time to see a figure unfold itself from the back of the car.

 

B’s gaze drifted above L’s head before he even absorbed his image, and found he was attempting to say the last name in his head.

 

L Lawliet.

 

“Welcome back, L! Welcome back, Watari!” A said next to him, and he was snapped out of his reverie.

“Thank you, A. It’s wonderful to be back,” L said, his voice quiet and calm. He had an awkward and lanky appearance, a simple attire of a white shirt and faded jeans, and jet black, disobedient hair. The fourteen year old L wore no shoes as he slouched towards the two boys, and B was alarmed to see his dark gaze staring pointedly at him.

“Hello...”
“You’re B, correct?” L said, smiling around an index finger resting on his bottom lip.

“Yes,”

“It’s nice to meet you, B,” he said simply, turning in time to fall next to Watari’s step.

 

The two boys watched Watari and L walk into the orphanage entrance, before returning to their patch of lawn where Beyond drilled A for information regarding L.

Little did he know L was asking similar questions about Beyond.

  

 

-tbc-

By J.M Selleck

Author's Note

Aw man! We have L! *fangirl-spasm*
I've decided to have L four years senior to our little Indiana Jones', btw.

If you missed it, there was a rather large time skip between parts two and three... They grow up about rather a lot in that time... Because double digits does a lot for a persons maturity.... *cough* They're both geniuses, okay?! That's my excuse and i'm sticking to it XP

Pleeeease review it, guys. Especially this chapter, as I have no idea if i'm going too slow or too fast or if i'm boring you et cetera.
If i'm getting out of character, please please PLEASE let me know.
I freakin LIVE for reviews!!

In the next chapter;
B discovers what the little floating numbers mean the hard way, and B has his first proper conversation with L...

Beyond Birthday and 'A' (c) NISIOISIN
Death Note (c) Ohba and Obata